Influences of vitamin E and selenium on acute liver injury induced by CCl4 in rats and their antioxidative function

Background: Oxidative stress plays a key role in the development of acute liver injury, so the elevation of antioxidative ability has an important effect on anti-acute liver injury. Aims: To investigate the effect of vitamin E (Vit E) and selenium on acute liver injury in the CCl₄-induced rats and their antioxidative function. Methods: Forty-eight normal male SD rats were randomly divided into six groups (8 rats/group): interventional group (the first week and the second week), model group (the first week and the second week), and control group (the first week and the second week). The interventional and model groups were given intraperitoneal CCl₄ (diluted with an equal volume of olive oil). The control group received normal saline injection. The rats in the interventional group were fed chow supplement with Vit E (250 mg/kg diet) and selenium (0.2 mg/kg diet), and the other groups were given standard chow. The rats in the first week group were sacrificed after one-week injection, the other groups were put to death after two weeks injection. The markers of acute liver injury and antioxidative function were detected and their changes were observed. Results: The serum level of malondialdehyde (MDA) was lower; the increase in serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was less markedly, and the hydroxyproline level in liver tissue in the interventional group was lower than those in the model group. In the second week, the selenium level of liver tissue and of serum in the model group was increased, while the Vit E level was significantly reduced with elevation of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX). However, the status of the above indicators in the interventional group maintained unchanged. Conclusions: The demand of antioxidative nutrients can be notably elevated during acute liver injury induced by CCl₄ in rats, and the ability to resist acute damage of the liver caused by oxidative stress can be enhanced by supplementation with Vit E and selenium.